Bookmarks have long been rather simple devices which help a reader locate a particular page in a book. More recently, however, bookmarks have become more sophisticated, incorporating features which identify a specific column on a page, and even a particular line in that column. In one such bookmark, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,456 to O'Rielly, an indicating arrow is rotatably and slidably mounted in a slot in the center of the bookmark. The bookmark is first placed on the desired page and the arrow rotated to face towards either the right or the left to thus indicate the desired column. The arrow is then slid either upwardly or downwardly in the slot to align with a particular line. Another such bookmark, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,665 to Carlin, includes two sets of indicia one of which represents either the right-hand or left-hand page and the other of which represents the desired column on that page, and a sliding indicator which locates a particular line of text. The bookmark is used by first orienting same so that the indicia which represent the desired page and column are at the upper portion of the right-hand page. The indicator is then slid into alignment with a particular line on that desired page and column.
All of the page and line indicating bookmarks which have been devised to date, including those described above, must lie on the page on which they were first placed when the book is later reopened. For example, in the case of the Carlin bookmark, if the book is opened with the bookmark lying on the left-hand page, the indicia facing the reader will indicate the wrong page and column. When a bookmark is inserted to mark a page near the front of a book, the bookmark will typically fall to the right-hand page when the book rs opened. On the other hand, when the bookmark is inserted to mark a page near the back of the book, the bookmark will typically fall to the left-hand page when the book is opened. In view of the foregoing, the page and line indicating bookmarks which have heretofore been available will not function properly throughout the entire book.
There therefore exists a need for an improved bookmark which will indicate the desired page as well as the desired line on that page no matter which side of the bookmark faces upwardly when the book is opened.